Re: I actually agree . . . - Saab General Bulletin Board - Saabnet.com
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Re: I actually agree . . .
Posted by James [Email] (more from James) on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:33:09
In Reply to: I actually agree . . ., Reality, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:29:36
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You know, I think we mainly differ in how we look at the situation:
I TA'd for an excellent prof in grad school who you would probably get along well with: a sharp intellect, quick moving, hard working guy. Anyway, one of his comments was that 90% of the literature (in our particular field) is crap... the theory many re-quoted or referenced relied on some rather weak assumptions... and he was largely right...
You seem to look at it as though 90% of everything is crap so the system is broken. I look at it as the remaining 10% are doing excellent work, and there is probably some 50% of the remaining work which, while imperfect, can still be used, understanding the deficiencies... the system funds that "10%" as well as some less ideal but somewhat useful work...
Isaac Newton was one of that "10%" (when 90% of everyone else was a theologian). Einstein was one of that "10%". Both paid by "government". There are people today who are funded by government doing excellent work that fall in that 10%. And as you suggest with:
"Most R&D are driven by profit motives (ask any half-million a year professors heading the research projects); the rest has to rely on the natural curiosity of private human beings backed by voluntary donors"
the ones doing fundamental research (aka "natural curiosity") would otherwise be reliant on (virtually non-existent) voluntary donors... the engineering R (largely driven by profit motives), which is carried out to some limited extent in industry to support D (in many cases better than in universities) is quite dependent on the fundamental scientific work, which industry rarely has the interest to finance...
In short, I don't think the system is at all perfect, but it's better than having no money out there for fundamental work whatsoever... which I believe is largely what would happen in your libertarian utopia...
James...
posted by 216.59.242...
Posts in this Thread:
- OT: Space shuttle, Eric Law, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 05:53:10
- Please..., Eric Law, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:46:52
- Re: OT: Space shuttle, brick8, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 12:09:07
- I'll cheer..., nwas, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 08:34:19
- It's been quite a while, AdamB , Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:33:51
- I guess we should all still be living in caves......, MI-Roger , Sat, 9 Jul 2011 13:06:57
- That would be the result, Reality, Sat, 9 Jul 2011 13:56:06
- Re: That would be the result, Eric Law, Sun, 10 Jul 2011 18:10:50
- Re: That would be the result, Reality, Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:37:54
- Re: That would be the result, James, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 06:51:50
- Perhaps..., Eric Law, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:43:19
- Re: Perhaps..., TML , Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:40:16
- Yeah, Eric Law, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:12:02
- Re: Perhaps..., Reality, Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:43:36
- Re: Perhaps..., Reality, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:06:32
- Uh..., Eric Law, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:39:02
- Re: Uh..., Reality, Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:08:54
- Re: Uh..., kkelley, Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:12:11
- Agree!, Reality, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 16:36:58
- Re: I'll cheer..., TML , Fri, 8 Jul 2011 14:20:12
- I think I can handle 0.5% of the federal budget, rob 96 aero, Fri, 8 Jul 2011 11:27:00
- Re: I'll cheer..., NCCaniac , Fri, 8 Jul 2011 09:26:41
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